Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an acclaimed and instantly recognizable American actor, producer and director who appeared in the Die Hard scenario films Blown Away, Light It Up, Panic Room, Phone Booth, Vantage Point, The Last Stand, Pawn and Tak3n. While Forest has played various "gentle giant" characters who typically display innocence, indecision, and timidity along with a strong underlying humanity, he has certainly not shied away from the edgier, darker corners of life as his occasional hitmen and other menacing streetwise types can attest. Although in only the first section of the film, he was memorable as the IRA-captured British soldier whose bizarre relationship with a mysterious femme fatale serves as the catalyst for the critically-lauded drama The Crying Game (1992). Always a willing participant to push the envelope, he's gone on to enhance a number of lesser films. Among those was his plastic surgeon in Johnny Handsome (1989, with Morgan Freeman and Lance Henriksen), gay clothing designer in Robert Altman's Ready to Wear (1994), alien hunter in Species (1995, with Michael Madsen), absentee father confronted by his estranged son in Smoke (1995), and as a Mafia hitman who models himself after the samurai warrior in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), among many others. He is married to former model Keisha Whitaker and has three children by her. His younger brothers Kenn Whitaker and Damon Whitaker are both actors as well. Whitaker has packaged a king-size talent into his hulking 6' 2", 220 lb. frame. He won an Academy Award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland. He has also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. Other film credits include: Fast Times at Ridgemore High, Platoon (with Tony Todd, Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger), Stakeout, Bloodsport (with Jean-Claude Van Damme), Bird (again with Todd), Jason's Lyric (with Bokeem Woodbine), Mr. Holland's Opus, Phenomenon (with John Travolta), Light It Up, The Fourth Angel (with Jeremy Irons), The Air I Breathe, Street Kings (with Keanu Reeves), Lee Daniel's The Butler (with Alan Rickman), Out of the Furnace (again with Dafoe and with Christian Bale), Black Nativity (with Angela Bassett and Vondie Curtis-Hall), Repetence (with Peter Weller), Tak3n (with Liam Neeson and Al Sapienza) and Star Wars: Rogue One. In recent years, he also stole the show as Lt. Jon Kavanaugh in the FX cable TV series "The Shield". He also had recurring roles on "North and South", "ER" and "Family Guy". He briefly served as the lead star to headline the short-lived TV show spin-off "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior". Gallery DHS-_Forest_Whitaker_and_Judge_Reinhold_in_Bank_Robber_(1993).jpg|Appearing in Bank Robber DHS- Forest Whitaker in Blown Away.jpg|Appearing in Blown Away DHS-_Ghost_Dog_(Forest_Whitaker).jpg|Appearing in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai DHS-_Forest_Whitaker_in_Light_It_Up.png|Appearing in Light It Up DHS-_Forest_Whitaker_in_The_Fourth_Angel.jpg|Appearing in The Fourth Angel DHS- Forest Whitaker in Panic Room.jpg|Appearing in Panic Room DHS-_Forest_Whitaker_in_Phone_Booth.jpg|Appearing in Phone Booth DHS- Forest Whitaker in Vantage Point.jpg|Appearing in Vantage Point DHS-_Forest_Whitaker_in_Street_Kings.png|Appearing in Street Kings DHS-_Forest_Whitaker_in_Catch_.44_(2011).jpg|Appearing in Catch .44 DHS-_Forest_Whitaker_in_The_Last_Stand.jpg|Appearing in The Last Stand DHS-_Forest_Whitaker_in_Pawn.jpg|Appearing in Pawn DHS-_Dougray_Scott_and_Forest_Whitaker_in_Taken_3.jpg|Appearing in Tak3n Category:Actors Category:Recurring Die Hard Scenario actors Category:Blown Away actors Category:Vantage Point actors Category:Panic Room actors Category:Antihero actors Category:Hero actors Category:Civilian actors Category:Phone Booth actors Category:The Last Stand actors Category:Actors who played officers of the law Category:Actors who played federal agents Category:Taken 3 actors Category:Light It Up actors Category:Pawn actors Category:Catch .44 actors Category:Villain actors Category:Bank Robber (1993) actors Category:The Fourth Angel actors Category:Street Kings actors Category:The Shield (TV show) actors Category:Body Count (1998) actors Category:Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai actors